Navigation

What will I study?

Overview

Degree Structure

The Master of Advanced Nursing is an 18-month program that prepares graduates to assume a major responsibility in developing new professional roles, devising new models of care and overseeing dynamic changes to practice. In the second year two streams are offered.

Presenting Academic Discourse

This subject aims to develop the advanced language required for successful graduate study in English. In this subject students will develop critical approaches to researching, reading and writing. They will also develop the ability to plan and present confidently on a research topic and to write a literature review fluently and accurately. Particular attention is paid to grammatical and stylistic aspects of written and spoken academic discourse. Students write and present on a research topic that is relevant to their field of study. This subject is divided into engineering and general streams.

Quality and Safety in Healthcare

This subject enables students to examine factors influencing safety and quality of the healthcare system. Using safety and quality as a framework students will examine trends in critical incidents in healthcare that result in adverse outcomes for patients. The subject will also introduce students to emerging strategies in healthcare that seek to improve the safety and quality of patient care and to consider particular roles of nurses in leading these efforts at a clinical and organisational level.

Pharmacology for Health Professionals

This subject extends the students' knowledge of the fundamental pharmacological principles of medication management, which can be adopted and utilized in the advanced practice setting. Students will use the foundational knowledge of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and therapeutics, in order to critically analyze how medications affect physiological, biochemical and pathophysiological processes.

With a greater appreciation of the action of drugs on body processes, students will be able to determine which medications should be administered to particular patients in order to ensure therapeutic effects are optimized and adverse effects are minimized. Students will articulate the key pharmacological characteristics of drug classes, as well as be able to derive and understand the specific nuances of individual drugs.

This focus will ensure that students use critical thinking and problem solving abilities to facilitate them to prescribe, administer, monitor and evaluate medications in a rational and effective manner. Please note that this subject is conducted through the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

Clinical Leadership in Context

The aim of this subject is to provide the student with the knowledge and skills to enable them to lead practice and service development in their area of specialty.

The core content of this subject will assist the student to understand the political, economic, professional, ethical, social and clinical influences on advanced practice nursing models. Students will critique different models of service delivery, governance structures, methods for evaluating and sustaining measurable outcomes in practice

The subject will also assist students to identify their own learning and development needs and, where necessary, negotiate access to a range of resources to enable them to meet their learning objectives.

The core content will prepare students to undertake a project that will facilitate the application of theory to their practice context. The focus of the project will be to develop the knowledge and skill required to lead service development and practice improvement as well as influence colleagues

Students will be required to develop a learning contract based on their individual learning needs which will be used to demonstrate development of an advanced practice role. The ANMC Competency Standards for Nurse Practitioners and where relevant, competency standards for advanced practitioners developed by specialty professional groups will be used to guide the learning contract development. Knowledge and skills developed should be described in the learning contract and demonstrated through the compilation of a practice portfolio that includes (but is not limited to) governance models, documentation of scope of practice and service evaluation strategies.

The subject is designed to support students to meet the ANMC Competency Standards for Nurse Practitioners (2006). This subject is a mandatory component of the Nurse Practitioner pathway of the Master of Advanced Nursing Practice.

Applications of Clinical Pharmacology

This subject supports the development of advanced practice knowledge in the quality use of medicines. It builds on knowledge developed in the subject Pharmacology for Health Professionals, which predominantly focuses on the mechanisms of action of medications, by exploring the clinical and social contexts for the safe use of medicines in speciality and advanced practice.

Implementing Evidence for Practice

This subject is designed to meet the needs of nurses and other clinically-based health professionals seeking further education in identifying, appraising and utilising research as an evidential base for their daily practice. The subject aims to facilitate the development of skills and knowledge that will allow participants to incorporate evidence based practice into clinical decision making.

Specialty areas

Students must choose a specialty area from the below list and undertake two 12.5 credit point subjects

Critical Care

NameCredit points

Critical Care Nursing 112.5

Critical Care Nursing 1

This subject is designed to provide the theoretical foundation for entry into specialty critical care nursing practice. Students will extend their understanding of general to systemic pathology of organ systems. This knowledge will be applied to the assessment and management of the critically ill patients. Patient and family perspectives of illness will be considered in the development and implementation of multidisciplinary care planning. Students will gain essential knowledge to plan, manage and monitor critical care interventions. They will apply scientific principles and research evidence underpinning the use of critical care therapies and identify signs and symptoms, clinical deterioration and life threatening.

Critical Care Nursing 2

This subject is designed to provide the theoretical foundation for entry into specialty critical care nursing practice. Students will extend their understanding of general to systemic pathology of organ systems. This knowledge will be applied to the assessment and management of acute and complex illness in critically ill patients. Patient and family perspectives of illness will be considered in the development and implementation of multi-disciplinary care planning. Students will gain essential knowledge to plan, manage and evaluate advanced critical care interventions. They will apply scientific principles and research evidence underpinning the assessment and management of acute and complex illness, and identify patients deterioration / life threatening complications.

Cancer and Palliative Care

NameCredit points

Cancer and Palliative Care Nursing 112.5

Cancer and Palliative Care Nursing 1

This subject is designed to promote development of foundational theoretical knowledge to support safe, patient centered practice as a beginning level specialty nurse in the clinical environment of Cancer & Palliative Care. Key content relates to understanding the pathophysiology of cancer and carcinogenics, and the principles of cure, control, symptom management and palliation. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation will be described as core treatments and elements of a multi-modal approach. The physical and psychosocial impacts of diagnosis and treatment on patients and their family are explored, as are opportunities to develop knowledge and skills to enhance the experience of survivors. Essential skills to support people affected by a life threatening illness, as well as the ethico-legal aspects of care will be explored. Emphasis is placed on health assessment; implementing and evaluating patient-centered care through the delivery of evidence based nursing interventions across the disease trajectory. Throughout the subject knowledge and skills in therapeutic communication are embedded. Interventions initiated by nurses at a beginning level of specialty practice will be described in terms of evidence available to underpin practice and the pre-requisite technical knowledge to support skill development.

Cancer and Palliative Care Nursing 2

This subject is designed to build on the knowledge and skills learnt in Cancer & Palliative Care Nursing 1to consolidate and extend the integration of theoretical aspects of specialty nursing for the beginning specialty Cancer & Palliative Care nurse.It expands the student's knowledge with regard to the high prevalence and high risk conditions encountered in cancer and palliative care practice settings, the complexity of disease processes, treatments (including pharmacology), symptoms and symptom management, and subsequent nursing assessments, interventions and supporting technical skills. Students also learn how to anticipate, identify and manage oncology and palliative care emergencies. There is a continued emphasis on scientific principles and research evidence underpinning practice and further developing skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, rational inquiry and self-directed learning to work with people affected by cancer to find quality solutions in specialty practice

Emergency

NameCredit points

Emergency Nursing 112.5

Emergency Nursing 1

This subject is designed to provide the theoretical foundation for entry into specialty emergency nursing practice. Students will extend their understanding of general to systemic pathology of organ systems. This will be applied to the assessment and management of high prevalence conditions. Patient and family perspectives of illness will be considered in the development and implementation of multi-disciplinary care planning. Students will gain essential knowledge to plan manage and monitor emergency care interventions. They will apply scientific principles and research evidence underpinning the use of the primary and secondary survey and identify patients at risk of life threatening complications. Students will become familiar with immediate interventions required to establish and maintain patient stability, including, but not limited to advanced life support techniques.

Emergency Nursing 2

This subject is designed to provide the theoretical foundation for entry into specialty emergency nursing practice. Students will extend their understanding of general to systemic pathology of organ systems. This knowledge will be applied to the assessment and management of acute and complex illness and multiple traumas. Patient and family perspectives of illness will be considered in the development and implementation of multi-disciplinary care planning. Students will gain essential knowledge to plan, manage and monitor emergency care interventions. They will apply scientific principles and research evidence underpinning the management of acute and complex illness and multiple traumas.

Neonatal Intensive Care

NameCredit points

Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing 112.5

Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing 1

This subject is designed to promote an understanding of the theoretical aspects of Neonatal nursing to support safe practice in caring for neonatal patients. Students will explore the impact of hospitalisation on neonates and their families, and understand assessment of the neonatal patient and common neonatal conditions responsible for preterm delivery and care of the sick neonate in hospital. In particular this subject will focus on nutritional requirements, fluid and electrolyte maintenance of the neonate, neonatal respiratory illness, neonatal care and principles of growth and development, which underpin accurate assessment of the newborn and infant Interventions initiated by nurses at a beginning level of practice will be described in terms of the research evidence underpinning practice as well as the technical and scientific knowledge that is a pre-requisite for skill development.

Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing 2

This subject is designed to consolidate and extend the understanding of theoretical aspects of neonatal nursing. It builds on the knowledge and skills learnt in Neonatal Nursing 1 and expands the students’ knowledge with regard to the range of patients encountered in neonatal practice settings. Students will build on assessment skills and theoretical knowledge to include assessment and management of the neonatal surgical patient and the assessment and management of specific physical and psychological illness states. There is a continued emphasis on scientific principles and research evidence underpinning practice and further developing of skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, rational inquiry and self-directed learning to solve patient management problems in specialty practice.

Paediatric

NameCredit points

Paediatric Nursing 112.5

Paediatric Nursing 1

This subject is designed to promote an understanding of the theoretical aspects of Paediatric nursing to support safe practice in caring for paediatric patients. Students will explore the impact of hospitalisation on children, and understand assessment of the paediatric patient and common paediatric conditions responsible for presentation to hospital. In particular this subject will focus on nutritional requirements, fluid and electrolyte maintenance of the child, paediatric respiratory illness, neonatal care and principles of growth and development, which underpin accurate assessment of the newborn, infant and preschooler. Interventions initiated by nurses at a beginning level of practice will be described in terms of the researchevidence underpinning practice as well as the technical and scientific knowledge that is a pre-requisite for skill development.

Paediatric Nursing 2

This subject is designed to consolidate and extend the understanding of theoretical aspects of paediatric nursing. It builds on the knowledge and skills learnt in Paediatric Nursing 1 and expands the students’ knowledge with regard to the range of patients encountered in paediatric practice settings.

Students will build on assessment skills and theoretical knowledge to include assessment and management of the paediatric surgical patient and the assessment and management of specific physical and psychological illness states. Growth and development principles will build on first semester with the focus on middle childhood and adolescence. There is a continued emphasis on scientific principles and research evidence underpinning practice and further developing of skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, rational inquiry and self-directed learning to solve patient management problems in specialty practice.

Paediatric Intensive Care

NameCredit points

Paediatric Intensive Care Nursing 112.5

Paediatric Intensive Care Nursing 1

This subject is designed to promote an understanding of the theoretical aspects of specialty nursing to support safe practice in caring for infants and children who are acutely or critically ill. They will learn the scientific principles and research evidence underpinning practice as well as the technical skills necessary to complete an admission assessment, understand admission findings, and identify infants and children at risk of life threatening complications. The underpinning biological basis and evidence based principles behind treatment and symptom management (including pharmacology) of diseases/illnesses commonly treated in each critical care practice setting will be described.

Paediatric Intensive Care Nursing 2

This subject is designed to consolidate and extend on the understanding of theoretical aspects of specialty nursing in the paediatric intensive care setting. It builds on the knowledge and skills learnt in Paediatric Intensive Care 1 and expands the student's knowledge with regard to the range of patients, the complexity of disease processes, treatments (including pharmacology), symptom management, and subsequent nursing assessments, interventions and supporting technical skills relevant to individual intensive care practice settings. There is a continued emphasis on scientific principles and research evidence underpinning specialty nursing practice and further developing of skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, rational inquiry andself-directed learning to solve patient management problems encountered in specific intensive care environments.

Rural Critical Care

NameCredit points

Rural Critical Care Nursing 112.5

Rural Critical Care Nursing 1

This subject is designed to provide the foundation for entry into specialty nursing in a rural critical care context. Students will extend their understanding of general to systemic pathology of organ systems for patients across the lifespan who are acutely or critically ill. This knowledge will be applied to the assessment and management of common conditions encountered in rural critical care settings. Students will learn the scientific principles and research evidence underpinning practice. The underpinningbiological basis and evidence based principles behind treatment and symptom management (including pharmacology) of diseases/illnesses commonly treated in the rural critical care context will be described.

Specialist Mental Health Nursing

This subject is designed to provide the theoretical foundation for entry into specialist mental health nursing practice. Students will explore the legal, policy and ethical frameworks, within which mental health care is provided. Students will extend their understanding of bio-psycho-social factors, related to mental health and illness and to the nosology within diagnostic structures of psychiatry.

Clinical Teaching and Preceptorship

This subject provides the learner with the skills and knowledge t provide and apply learning support systems in the clinical workplace. A variety of learning support models are explored and discussed including: mentorship, clinical teaching, clinical supervision and preceptorship. The major themes of the subject are the learning organisation, principles and practices of teaching, learning and assessing in the clinical practice with particular importance on providing learner feedback, the preceptor-preceptee relationship and creating a supportive learning environment.

Psychopharmacology

This subject will provide students with the opportunity to expand their knowledge of medications used in psychiatry and to examine the role of the psychiatric nurse in psychopharmacological treatments. The subject allows students to develop clinical skills in relevant assessments and interventions for clients receiving psychiatric medication.

Consumer Perspective: Theory & Practice

This subject aims to extend participants foundational knowledge to support the development of clinical skills and expertise related to consumer participation in treatment and consumer involvement in mental health service delivery and review. The subject focuses on current State and Commonwealth directives supporting consumer participation in treatment and in service reform activities; consumer rights, and explores models of care that can enhance the consumer's involvement in treatment. The subject would be relevant for healthcare practitioners from nursing and allied health disciplines interested in consumer perspectives and participation in health and health services.

Health Assessment for Advanced Practice1

The aim of this subject is to develop advanced health assessment skills in nursing that are relevant to the student’s area of clinical practice.

The subject provides the foundation for the development of health assessment knowledge and skills that are required in order to practice in an advanced practice nursing role.

The subject will explore diagnostic decision making processes taking into consideration factors that impact on health and health assessment outcomes, such as: age, gender, culture, socioeconomic status and life style.

Students will use a client focused approach to health assessment and apply a structured framework to guide health assessment. History taking, general examination skills, diagnostic testing and communication of assessment findings to the health care team and patient (written and verbal) will form the core content of the subject.

Students will have the option of selecting areas that are relevant to their own area of practice. These topics will include: cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, cognitive and developmental, abdominal, alimentary and nutritional, genitourinary, musculoskeletal, integument and psychosocial assessment.

The subject will provide a number of strategies to assist the students in developing advanced health assessment skills. On campus tutorials and workshops, reading and resource material will be provided to assist students to develop the necessary knowledge and skills for advanced health examination and patient assessment. Students will use clinical mentors in their practice environment to support their learning, in particular the development of specialty assessment skills.

The subject is designed to support students in meeting the ANMC Competency Standards for Nurse Practitioners (2006).

This subject is a mandatory component of the Master of Advanced Nursing Practice Nurse Practitioner pathway.

Advanced Nursing Practice in Context

This subject focuses on knowledge and clinical skill development for an expanded scope of practice in an area of specialty practice.

The core content of this subject will include defining scope of practice and advanced practice nursing roles.

An exploration of advanced practice, expansion of speciality practice, and the role of the nurse practitioner including the regulatory, professional, ethical and practical influences on scope of practice will be explored. In this context, students will consider the implications of mentorship, clinical supervision and clinical governance models before embarking on a project that expands their own scope of practice.

The core content will prepare students to undertake a project that will allow them to apply relevant theory related to advanced practice nursing to their own specialty context. The project will expand their current nursing knowledge and skills to an advanced practice level.

The focus of the project will be on developing the capacity to apply evidence to nursing assessment and management strategies, developing sophisticated assessment, problem-solving, planning and technical skills for client groups that are specific to their designated specialty. For those students undertaking the NP pathway, the contract will include the development of advanced diagnostic reasoning skills, including the use of relevant diagnostic tools. Project development, implementation and evaluation strategies for the treatment plans that address specific extensions to practice will be incorporated in the project. The assessment, investigation and treatment plans should be client focused (eg. culturally sensitive, socioeconomically relevant, sustainable and negotiated with the client and other members of the health care team.

With collegial support from a multidisciplinary team and the subject coordinator, students will develop a learning contract to articulate their project. The ANMC Competency Standards for Nurse Practitioners and where relevant competency standards for advanced practitioners issued by specialty professional groups will be used to guide the project aim, contract development and completion. Students will demonstrate achievement of knowledge and skills described in the contract through compilation of a practice portfolio.

This subject will assists students to develop the capacity to identify their own clinical learning and development needs and access a range of resources to enable them to meet their objectives.

This subject is designed to support students to meet the ANMC Competency Standards for Nurse Practitioners (2006).

This subject is a mandatory component of the Nurse Practitioner pathway of the Master of Advanced Nursing Practice.

Child and Family Health

The focus of this subject is to utilise an ecological approach to understand the importance of family relationships when assessing, planning, and implementing the health care needs of children. The effects of social disadvantage on the child and family will be explored with special emphasis on families of children with special needs.

Design for Ageing

Demographic ageing is creating a shift in how to think and define homes, cities and public spaces. This subject explores feasible and sustainable approaches to keep the older segment of the population physically and socially active. Innovative changes in design can lead to significant advancements in service delivery, transportation models and homes that allow people to age in place. In addition, design principles for dementia and palliative care are a few of the many concepts that help minimise stress on people as they age and their families. Students will explore these topics and develop their own ideas about the way design can optimise the ageing process for comfort, security and overall well-being.

Domestic and Family Violence

This provides foundational knowledge in understanding domestic and family violence (DFV) and the intervention for workers in the human services sector. An analysis which draws from an ecological and a public health framing of the cultural, structural, relational and individual understandings of DFV informs the content of the course. An approach which recognises the gendered patterns of DFV and which also recognises the impact on children of living with violence and abuse provides the parameters of the subject. Issues of diversity will be woven throughout the subject.

Specific topics that will be covered include: prevalence and incidence of DFV and what this tells us about children, gender and intersectionality; risk assessment and risk management; accountability for men who use violence; strengthening the mother-child relationship in the aftermath of violence; supporting collaborative inter-agency practice; specific issues for child protection workers; the prevention agenda and strategies for earlier intervention.